Villanova Engineering Welcomes 6 New Faculty Members

Charles Burgis, PhD, Assistant Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering

Dr. Burgis joins Villanova from Washington, D.C., where he was a program officer for the Water Science and Technology Board of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine. He earned his PhD from the University of Virginia and specializes in watershed management, green stormwater infrastructure, and the fate and transport of nonpoint source water contaminants.

This semester, Dr. Burgis will teach both undergraduate and graduate students and contribute to the work of the Villanova Center for Resilient Water Systems.

“I’m hoping to develop my teaching skills, start collaborating on research, form a research group and become involved in the greater Villanova community,” Dr. Burgis said.

Joshua Kays, PhD, Assistant Teaching Professor of Biomedical Engineering

Dr. Kays, who grew up in Havertown, Pa., earned his PhD in Biomedical Engineering from Boston University, where he worked to make quantum dots more clinically relevant through biodegradation. After completing his degree, he joined the University as a lecturer. In his new role at Villanova, he will teach both undergraduate and graduate students and looks forward to collaborating with his colleagues in the classroom.

“I hope to integrate myself with the Villanova community while also developing and redesigning some of the BME courses,” Dr. Kays said, “and, of course, teach my students in a way that allows them to leave my class with a sense of joy and wonder.”

Andrew Lee, PhD, Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering

Dr. Lee has been a member of the Villanova community since 2019, when he joined the Department of Mechanical Engineering as a visiting assistant teaching professor. In his new role as a tenure-track research professor, he will help expand the College’s capabilities in next-generation manufacturing technologies.

He looks forward to creating more hands-on engineering opportunities for students both inside and outside the classroom while pursuing new scientific knowledge through his research.

“Villanova Engineering students are the best there is,” Dr. Lee said. “Not only are they creative, passionate and a joy to teach, but they always think about engineering in the broader context of the common good.”  

Yun Li, PhD, Visiting Assistant Teaching Professor of Mechanical Engineering

Dr. Li completed his PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Villanova in July. His research focuses on additive manufacturing, functional materials and flexible sensing technologies. Primarily teaching undergraduate students, he is excited to help students build a strong foundation in mechanical engineering while connecting classroom concepts with real-world engineering and research applications.

“My main goal is to grow as an educator and create an engaging and supportive learning environment for my students,” Dr. Li said. “I also hope to continue developing my research interests in additive manufacturing and functional materials, while finding opportunities to connect teaching, research and student involvement throughout the academic year.”

Griffin Modjeski, PhD, Assistant Teaching Professor of Mechanical Engineering

Dr. Modjeski recently earned his PhD from the University of Notre Dame. His graduate research focused on environmental fluid dynamics, specifically downslope windstorms and mountain waves, through field-based research. During his final year at Notre Dame, while writing his dissertation, Dr. Modjeski also served as the instructor of record for Engineering Design and Engineering Computing.

“I am excited to instruct undergraduate students in both theoretical and laboratory-based courses while getting to know the culture at Villanova through interactions with my students in class, during office hours and through other interactions on campus,” he said.

Carolina Colombo Tedesco, PhD, Assistant Teaching Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering

Dr. Colombo Tedesco grew up in Brazil and is joining us from Carnegie Mellon, where she completed her PhD in Chemical Engineering. Her research spans the intersection of process systems engineering and programmable catalysis.

Community, service and care are at the core of who she is, and she is thrilled to join the Villanova community, where those values are emphasized, while teaching both graduate and undergraduate students. 

“At the end of my first year at Villanova, I want to know that I made a difference in my students’ experience—that I helped them thrive, strengthen their technical and professional skills and become more confident in what they can do,” Dr. Colombo Tedesco says. “I also want to become a better educator by learning from my students and using those lessons to continually improve my teaching.”